Learning requires your brain. However, the brain does not fully develop until approximately age 25. Since a typical undergraduate student is 18-22 years old, it is crucial to understand what skills and brain development are currently occurring while the student is in college. A vital set of skills closely related to brain development is executive function skills. Executive function skills are the attention-regulation skills that help someone achieve a goal. There are many parts to this skill set, including maintaining focus on the goal, gathering relevant information, developing a plan to achieve the goal, adhering to the plan, resisting distractions, tolerating frustration, and considering the consequences of various decisions in relation to the goal.
While undergraduates possess adult-level capabilities in many areas, their executive function skills may be inconsistent, which is normal. Understanding these skills and that they are developing will help you recognize when learning challenges are part of normal brain development versus when you might benefit from adjusting your learning strategies or seeking additional support/guidance.
Required: Teens can have excellent executive function — just not all the time
